Canalys says smartphone customers are shifting their focus from the mid- to low-end

The analyst firm Canalys has released some interesting data that shows prospective smartphone customers are shifting their attention away from mid-range phones to the low-end. It comes as budget devices become more capable and the cost of living makes customers reassess what they buy. There is one brand, though, still selling a high-end phone – you guessed it, Apple.

According to the data, worldwide smartphone shipments fell 9% year-over-year in Q2 2022. Samsung grabbed the highest market share at 21% thanks to its low-end A series of devices, and Apple was second at 17% as the iPhone 13 was still in high demand despite its price tag. Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo followed, but each lost between one and three percent market share year-over-year.

The full market share data is as follows:

Runar Bjørhovde, an analyst at Canalys, said that the slowdown in sales caused predominantly by inflation-ridden economies has made smartphone makers reassess their device portfolios. The analyst described the mid-range market as oversupplied and that we could see the focus shift to the low-end of the market.